Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge

Stillwater Marsh has sustained human life for as long as 6000 years. The marsh was home to a tribe of Northern Paiutes, called the Cattail-eaters, who thrived with the bounties of this desert oasis. The unfettered flow of the snowmelt from the Carson River, formerly the lifeblood of the marsh, stopped about 100 years ago when dams and reservoirs were built to store the river’s water for agricultural uses.
In 1990 landmark federal legislation was enacted that provided a way for Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge to revitalize its wetlands. This legislation allowed the refuge to purchase water rights that formerly were sold for agricultural use.
The audio mix was recorded while kayaking through the Stillwater sloughs in May 2007.